Habs Survive An Avalanche By The Avalanche. Thanks To Halak.

A couple of hours till game time and after just waking up from working all night, I had to listen to that guru-of-all-things-real-and-true, Matthew Barnaby on TSN tell us that the Habs remind him of the last year’s Ottawa Senators, who started out playing fine and then promptly fell flat on their ass for the rest of the season and beyond. And if Matthew Barnaby says it, it must be true, right? He’s right up there in the upper echelons of brilliance with Mike Milbury, for goodness sakes. Kind of reminds you of Ken Dryden in an intellectual sort of way.

And just like players who might change their favourite shoelaces to stop the bleeding, I’ve decided to start typing after every period instead of waiting until the final whistle before I try to make sense of things. When the team and its fans are in a slump, you have to change the routine, right?

So it’s the Habs in Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche. And I’d be wasting precious computer space if I mentioned just how important this game is. (Is there such a thing as precious computer space?)

First Period:

Two seconds have gone by and Montreal’s still doing fine.

Twelve minutes in and Montreal has only given the puck away four times, once by a Komisarek-Markov combo, once by Roman Hamrlik, and twice by Alex Kovalev. That’s pretty good, right?

Three minutes left in the first, Montreal scores! I REPEAT – MONTREAL SCORES ! Frankie Bouillon on a nice set up from Max Pacioretty.

Reports of several thousand people found dead in their seats at the Pepsi Center are proved to be false. They’re just asleep.

Georges Laraque loses puck. Shortly after, Avalanche score.

Darcy Tucker is mad at Guy Carbonneau for some reason. Carbonneau wishes it was only Tucker who’s mad at him.

Kovalev loses puck, Avalanche don’t score. Nice surprise.

Midway through period, and the Avalanche, and the fans who were previously thought to be dead, are now wide awake.

Pierre McGuire, near the Avalanche bench, overhears players saying that Kovalev is cruising. I thought this was already understood by players and fans in North America. Man, are Colorado players ever behind.

Things are really starting to suck as Colorado is taking it to Montreal. Hurry up and end, second period.

But then, Andre Kostitsyn finds the back of the net! And with 25 seconds left, Tom Kostopoulos scored a short-handed empty-netter. Habs win 4-2. If you didn’t see the game, it was a solid win. However, if you saw it, it wasn’t quite so solid.

I’d like to thank the academy, my family, and Jaroslav Halak who faced 47 shots as his team sleep-walked through this game. And even though they won, for this club, all’s quiet on the western front.

That’s the best way to put it, Yves, “something to build on.” I’m not sure I’m looking forward to Sunday. I’m in Canucks country here. And Jordy, yes indeed, Sunday. (Jordy’s a Canucks fan. Maybe I can convert him.)

Still lots of room for improvement but everyone said it starts in goal first. maybe now the rest of the team can try and get it’s act together. Tucker, that little pr**k, should be suspended for the way he intentionally allowed himself to whip around and into Halak. Very dangerous, very stupid, very Tucker like.

Good game by Halak,or should I say awesome?Who will play in Van?All of Carey’s family and friends will be there for sure for the Habs only visit in ???3 years.I don’t know what Carbo will do here.Hopefully whatever he does turns out good.